The night in Mythra was cloaked in a faint red mist as Lesendra, Seira, and Eryvan continued their journey toward the Temple of Light in the west. The rocky path was silent, accompanied only by the sound of their footsteps and the glimmer of red-gold light from Lesendra's sword.
Halfway through, they stopped at the edge of a cliff overlooking the quiet Mythra valley. The night wind blew hard, carrying the scent of damp earth. Lesendra looked up at the dark sky, then glanced down at his golden hand that glowed warmly.
Seira looked at him, her eyes filled with questions. "Lesendra… why do you always seem to carry such a heavy burden? Why are you so hard on yourself?"
Lesendra remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a deep sigh. His voice was low, calm, but filled with conviction. "Because I know who I am." He looked at his golden hand, then at them. "I'm not a god. I'm just a man… who happened to inherit a fragment of divine power."
Seira and Eryvan fell silent, gazing at him deeply. Lesendra continued, his eyes shining with determination and clarity. "Gods are too taboo… too arrogant… too distant from humans. And I… I don't want to be like that. I'm human. I bleed and feel pain. I can feel fear, anger, and sadness. I'm just a man… who happens to have been given greater power. But that's not a reason to feel superior, let alone to oppress others."
Eryvan lowered his head, his voice heavy. "So… you don't want to be a god?"
Lesendra shook his head firmly. "I don't. Because gods are just creations of the true Creator. Gods are merely beings who happened to be stronger, but they're still just beings. I refuse to become a god who feels entitled to rule. I choose to remain human… to fight, not for power, but to free this world from the illusion of power that deceives."
Seira gazed at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "You're… not just a hero. You're a man who stays true to his humanity. And that… is what makes you stronger than those gods."
Lesendra clenched his golden hand, which now emitted a warm glow. "I'll continue this journey. I'll defeat them not because I want to become stronger, but because I want to return the power to where it belongs – to all beings who deserve to live free, not bow down to the illusion of control."
Eryvan looked at him with respect. "You carry a philosophy that will shake this world, Lesendra. I'll stand with you."
Seira gave a small smile, holding back her tears. "And I'll stay by your side. Until the end."
Under Mythra's sky, which began to glow faintly with the light of dawn, the three of them continued their journey to the Temple of Light, their steps filled with the conviction that power was not a right to dominate, but a responsibility to protect and free.
Eryvan looked at the two of them, his eyes gleaming. "Then, here's the plan. I'll create a counter-illusion to open a gap in the wall of light. Seira will hold off the illusionary guards with arrows and traps, while Lesendra enters the temple and faces the guardian of the third Ruby."
Lesendra nodded, his eyes alight with enthusiasm. "I'll do it. I'll bring that Ruby back, not for myself, but for all beings who wish to live free from the shadows of the gods."
Seira raised her bow, her voice firm. "And I'll protect you both. Because I believe in you, Lesendra."
Eryvan clenched his staff, which glowed with a faint red light. "And I'll make them believe that their shadows are no longer something to fear."
Under the Mythra sky, now shimmering with the pale light of dawn, the three stood before the Temple of Light, their steps steady, their conviction clear: power was not a right to oppress, but a responsibility to protect and free.
Under the dim dawn light of Mythra, Lesendra, Seira, and Eryvan stood before the Temple of Light, where the third Ruby was hidden. The wall of illusion surrounding the temple trembled gently, reflecting shadows and the dark sky of Mythra.
Eryvan raised his black staff, emitting a faint red glow like a drifting mist. "I'll create a counter-illusion to open a gap," he said, his voice low and firm. Seira readied her bow, her arrows shimmering with energy, ready to hold off the illusionary guards hidden behind the mist.
Lesendra gripped the obsidian diamond sword, now glowing with a warm red-gold light, and clenched his golden hand. "I will enter. I will retrieve the Ruby. And I will show them that power is not for oppression, but for protection."
Eryvan gazed at him for a long moment, his eyes flickering as though concealing a secret. "Before we enter… there's something you need to know."
Lesendra and Seira turned, their faces tense. Eryvan looked toward the Temple of Light, his voice low, as though revealing something he had long kept hidden.
"The Rubies aren't just crystals of power. They are fragments of the souls of the first gods who rebelled against the Throne of Darkness. In the past, their power wasn't meant to oppress, but to maintain the world's balance. However, the arrogance of certain gods twisted that purpose, making them crave dominion, turning the Rubies into tools of control. This power doesn't belong to anyone. The Rubies are the memory of the world… a reminder that true power is not for oneself, but for all."
Seira froze, her breath catching. "So… we're not just fighting power itself, but the shadow of a corrupted past?"
Eryvan nodded. "Yes. And only by purifying the power of the Rubies can we free this world from the shadow of the so-called ruling gods."
Lesendra looked at his hand, its red-gold glow shining steadily, then tightened his grip on his sword. "I'm not a god. I'm just a man… who carries a fragment of their power. And I refuse to become like them."
Eryvan gave a faint smile. "You're not just a man, Lesendra. You're a man who chooses to remain human, even when faced with the temptation of power."
Seira nodded, her eyes glowing. "And I'll stay by your side. Until the end."
They stepped forward. Eryvan created a rift in the illusionary wall, sending out a wave of red that shattered the mist, opening a path into the Temple of Light. Seira fired her arrows, holding back the illusionary guards rushing from the shadows. Lesendra leapt into the temple, its walls reflecting a soft, shimmering white light.
Inside the temple, the main chamber radiated a dazzling glow, and in its center stood the third Ruby, glowing a greenish-blue, surrounded by a warm yet mysterious aura. But from the shadows, a new guardian appeared – a tall figure cloaked in dark blue robes with a face hidden behind a silver mask, eyes glowing green, staring at Lesendra with a piercing gaze.
"I am the guardian of the Temple of Light," the voice echoed like a whisper on the wind. "If you want this Ruby, prove that you are worthy. Not with power, but with heart."
Lesendra clenched his golden hand, his eyes glowing red-gold. "I will prove it. Because I fight not for myself… but for everyone."